The Path
by Serpent in the Shadows
Summary: [xXxHP Crossover! Slash! XanderHarry] There are many paths one must take in life. But when the time comes to choose, will you stay where you are, or will you take a chance on an unknown path in the hopes of finding something more?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Path  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **R/M  
**Pairing: **Xander/Harry  
**Warnings: **Slash, language  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Harry Potter _or _xXx  
_**Summary: **There are many paths one must take in life. But when the time comes to choose, will you stay where you are, or will you take a chance on an unknown path in the hopes of finding something more?  
**Beta: **Pysche  
**Dedication: **To AbeoUmbra - as a thank you for helping me write _Worth the Wait, _allowing me to bounce endless ideas off of you, and encouraging me to keep writing. Love ya!

**AN: **I hadn't planned on starting yet another story but between AbeoUmbra and _FX_ deciding to air _xXx _twice in one weekend...well, I crumbled and started to write. The thought behind this though started when I was bored and took a look at the _Harry Potter _challenge section on AFF and came across one for this type of crossover. I studied it, but decided in the end, it wasn't something I could do but I was intrigued by the concept of combining these two - that and anything with Vin Diesel as a main character is worth it!

I'm not sure how often I'll be updating this, it really depends on how popular it is.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

It was peaceful here, he realized.

After standing still for more than thirty minutes, the birds had finally started to sing again after he had disturbed their sanctuary. A light breeze pushed its way through the tall grasses, caressing his skin and clean-shaven head as his brown eyes surveyed the ongoing waves at the bottom of the cliff he was standing on.

For years he had never been out of America. No reason to leave when there were plenty of challenges there for him to face. Whether it was from the sheer adrenalin rush of a free fall dive, the excitement of doing tricks on a board - be it snow, water, or on land - or even downgrading and embarrassing crooked people, Xander Cage didn't have to step away from his home country in order to do so.

But then he had been taken by government officials that had swept in, taking him in an unflattering fashion - not very manly to be taken out by a dart and then falling on your ass, twice - and then sent on a couple of trials to prove his 'worthiness'.

Then to top it all off, this bastard of an agent - Gibbs - decides to manipulate him into '_doing his country a favor' _in order not to do jail time. He had been right though, he wouldn't have survived very long in a cage.

So, off he went to Russia to find info on an underground crime ring - undetected - and it had worked for a bit, even got a kick-ass car out of the deal. But then things just had to go ass-end up which put him on the run. But of course, there was a girl involved and he couldn't just leave her high and dry.

Females always had a way of causing more problems than necessary.

But, with the help of Yelena, - who, much to his surprise, turned out to be an Russian Intelligence agent that her country had forgotten about - he found out the deal behind Anarchy 99. In secret, the leader, Yorgi, had used a castle as a base for making a biochemical weapon to use on major cites.

And, he had witnessed the deaths of the scientists Yorgi had killed by their own project in order to make sure there weren't any witnesses.

He would never forget the way they begged for their lives.

But, he guessed, it had turned out well in the end. Both he and Yelena had chased down the sea-faring drone that had been sent out to complete the task of killing innocent people. In desperation, Xander, himself, had destroyed the vessel, almost killing himself in the process.

Alive, though wet and cold, he had survived the nasty explosion it had caused in the water and had demanded a trip to Bora Bora as payment. Of course, _she _went with him.

It had started out as a nice little 'love affair'. The sun, the beach, and the sex had all been great. Rested, relaxed and out of danger, he had allowed himself to think that he could be happy like this. Pretty girl, freedom, no need for clothes...it had been perfect.

But Xander Cage had never been one to be able to sit idle for very long. He had been born energized and ready to take on the next challenge. Yelena, though, had spent several years trying very hard to survive in a place where one mistake could lead you to a very nasty death. Now that she didn't have to worry about all that, she wanted, almost demanded a quiet life.

He had almost given into her. Seeing her reasons, he could understand and had tried, really he did, but when he had been lead into that trap...

She was alive, and he was supposedly dead to the eyes of everyone else that wasn't included in the '_Higher Ups'_ of the NSA. They claimed it was for the best for now he could go back unknown into missions _for his country._ He would have a new name, a new identity...Xander Cage would be gone forever - but not quite yet.

That was the reason he was here, standing on the edge of the Bempton Cliffs in England somewhere off the East Yorkshire coast. He wasn't really sure where that was, he really couldn't care less, but it would be his one last freedom dive before he went underground.

Agent 'Bastard' Gibbs hadn't wanted to let him do this, but he had insisted. He wanted the trill of the open air one last time before he had the thrill of being shot at.

With a sigh, he ran his hand over his head, grimacing when he felt a slight amount of stubble - he would have to shave again after this. Looking around, he found the perfect spot to set up his camera - his one last shot at remembering this.

It felt weird not to have his buddies here to help him, or to know that this wouldn't in any way help take down some rich fucker, but no one could know and he wasn't about to ruin this.

After a few minutes, his camera was set up and rolling - the tripod pointing out in the direction he would jump. Another one would be placed on his body to capture the actual fall. Donning his gear, Xander checked over everything one last time before he set his sights on the cliff's edge. He really couldn't wait to see what the water and chalk cliffs would look like from the air.

With a smile on his face, Xander took a running leap. Minutes later, his parachute came out, the muted blue color almost blending into the sky and the camera, sitting back above recorded every minute, even when Xander Cage disappeared into nothing.

**oOOoOOoOOoOOo**

Harry relaxed as he let his animagus form take over. His mind shifted from the nuance of his human self to one of a powerful Freisian - the urge to run and just be free took hold and he allowed himself to do just so. Nickering to himself, he enjoyed the sensations of his powerful muscles as they bunched and exploded with every stride.

Wild birds took off as he thundered across the land and he shook his head at the mild but startling annoyance. They never got used to his presence here even though he had been living on this land for several years, doing what he was now almost daily.

It was the perfect place for him - a land that forbade muggles from entering except for certain times of the year - and then they were only allowed in certain spots. As a Nature Reserve, Bempton Cliffs was ideal, peaceful and beautiful and with the powerful wards he had in place, no one, magical or otherwise could find him.

At the age of twenty-six, Harry was simply known as a recluse, unwilling to let anyone else in his life. After battling in a war that lasted for over seven years - he counted the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament as the beginning - Harry felt as if he needed just to get away from it all. Between the deaths, the press, the endless unjustified - at least in his opinion - awards, he felt as if he was going to either explode or crumble. Neither one was at the top of his 'to do list' though.

Sometimes he did feel a bit guilty for leaving the few friends that had survived the war behind without a word, but he had begun to become a bit selfish and wanted things his way for once. Being alone, on untamed, untainted land was something for him and his sanity.

So, after he had set up house and wards on this land, he had done something he had always wanted to do since he had first heard about his dad, Sirius, and unfortunately Peter, becoming animagi - he studied to be one himself.

At first, the thoughts of being a big, powerful _horse _of all things - really, couldn't he have been a stag, or a bird, or even a cat? - had unnerved him, but soon he got used to the feel of everything and absolutely loved the joy of running at full speed.

Of course, being a horse didn't always help his paranoia. Horses tended to be awful skittish at the least little thing.

At least he wasn't a Shetland Pony - he would have never lived that down.

As he continued to run, he let his mind be numbed by the sound of his hooves pounding on the slightly wet grasses that swayed in the breeze. Shaking his massive head, he came to a skidding stop when he felt a sudden tug - for lack of a better word - in his mind, alerting him that the wards had been breached.

Pivoting on his back hooves, he turned in a ninety degree angle and run towards the disturbance. He knew, even though the wards had been tampered _off_ the cliff and in the middle of the air, that it wasn't just simply a bird. He had made sure that trivial things such as wild life could easily pass through unhindered and without his knowledge. The only animals that would set it off were animagi and this wasn't that.

But it could easily be a witch or a wizard on a broom, the 'muggle repellent' charms wouldn't work on someone with magic, but he didn't think it was that either...because it was only one person, not a group, and if they were after him, it would have been more than one.

He wasn't arrogant enough to think it would take that many to over power him with magic, just stubborn enough to know it would take a _horde _of people to get him away from his home _alive. _

Slowing down as he neared the edge, Harry quickly transformed, glad - and not for the first time - that the spell allowed his wand, knife, and muggle gun being able to be brought along for the ride - Harry grimaced at the pun. Quickly, he cast an invisibility charm on himself and pulled out the gun he had purchased about six months before the final battle. Pureblood wizards were notorious for disregarding muggle items as inferior and he had used that to his full advantage once he had been trained.

He looked around, not noticing anything out of the ordinary, before creeping towards the edge of the chalk cliff. He knew the wards had been breached in this area, out and over the ocean, so he laid down on the ground and inched his way to the end and allowed his head to hang over the side so he could look down.

He scanned the ocean and then the beach, only to sigh at the sight of a light blue crumbled piece of cloth that looked like it had been slightly scorched. From this height he couldn't really make out what it was, but there was no mistake in the identity of a _human_ struggling to get up off the sand.

With the mind set of '_shoot first, ask questions later' _that he had honed after years of being in a war, Harry did just that, and the corners of his mouth twitched when he saw the figure jerk to the right then land on its back with a thud.

Standing back up, he apparated down the beach below, landing about a dozen or so feet from the now clearly male human. As he stood there, watching and waiting, his wand and gun trained on the man, he let his magical senses sweep the area, only to suddenly started swearing as he put his gun away and began jogging up the beach to the wounded man.

Sliding to his knees, Harry quickly located the bullet wound in the man's left shoulder and began applying pressure to it. He knew from his 'magical scan' that the male was alive but unconscious, and he was thankful for that, but he knew that it wouldn't stay that way if he didn't stop it in time.

Taking one of his hands off the wound, he wrapped his now blood stained fingers around the male's other arm and quickly apparated them both back to his house. And while he wasn't ready to venture back out into the world just to get help, he knew he would have to do everything he personally could to see that this man lived.

After all, Harry didn't need the guilt of killing an innocent muggle on his hands.

* * *

**AN: **Between the end of _xXx_ and the beginning of _xXx : State of the Union, _there was a small film that said that Xander Cage died in trap. An explosion was set off when he was on a date with 'Jordan King' who he was trying to save. But, at the beginning of _xXx: State of the Union, _they stated that Cage died _that morning _in Bora Bora. So, I just combined the two to suit my needs - the trap was set in Bora Bora when he was on a date with Yelena. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **The Path  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **R/M  
**Pairing: **Xander/Harry  
**Warnings: **Slash, language  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Harry Potter _or _xXx  
_**Summary: **There are many paths one must take in life. But when the time comes to choose, will you stay where you are, or will you take a chance on an unknown path in the hopes of finding something more?  
**Beta: **Pysche

**AN: **Sorry this took so long, but everything I tried to write I didn't like. So after multiple rewrites, this is what I finally came up with that made me halfway happy. Thank you so much for the reviews! Fifteen for the first chapter made me extremely happy!

**Chapter 2**

_Well, _Harry thought, _the man sure likes tattoos._

Tilting his head to the side, Harry finally took the time to look them over now that he had patched the man up. The muggle's body was in perfect condition - other than the bullet wound - and without a shirt on, Harry could see every muscle even in their relaxed state. The man was bigger than he was, but not by _that _much - Harry judged that the muggle was at least five inches taller and a few inches broader in the shoulders.

Harry didn't really care though, he had grown used to the idea that most males would always be taller than him, but with his workout sessions and training, Harry had developed a good bit of muscle mass himself and that helped him feel a lot better about himself over the years.

Green eyes swept over the man's chest and down to his bare stomach, and Harry couldn't help but wonder if the stranger had tattoos any lower than the ones on his abs. Being curious by nature - and sometimes too curious for his own well being - Harry's fingers itched to take a peek just to see. But in order to satisfy this _need _of his, he would have to undress a helpless man. It would be a violation, indecent, and morally wrong...

Waving his hand, the man's pants disappeared and Harry had to raise an eyebrow. Apparently, the man disliked underwear as much as he liked unmarked skin. And yes, the tattoos went below the man's waist line.

Curiosity satisfied, Harry stood up from his chair that he had drug to the side of the bed, only to flop back down again. Running a hand through his shoulder length hair, he averted his eyes away from the skin show and let out a puff of air. Green eyes gazed over the room, avoiding the wounded man. Really he shouldn't...but, he could have sworn that was a snake...

Growling in annoyance - since when had he ever not just done what he wanted to? - Harry leaned forward...and yes, that was most definitely a snake wrapped around the man's...

Harry froze, his eyes going wide and slightly to the left just in time to see the man's penis _twitch_ once again.

_Okay, so not all of him is totally unconscious. _

Backing up, Harry pulled his eyes away and gently pulled the white sheet up and over the man's torso. With a sigh, he turned and exited the extra bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind him before he left the house. He needed to run again.

_Pity though, _Harry thought as he let his body change once again into that of his animal form, _I really wanted to know where the snake's tail went._

**oOOoOOoOOoOOo**

The cool, damp sand parted easily underneath his feet, pushing the grains up between his toes as he slowly dug them deeper and deeper. The wind was slow and lazy, just barely ruffling his black hair and he gazed out into the sea. The crashing waves became his focal point as he let his mind drift.

He had been sitting here for a little more than an hour, letting his mind go over the few things he had found out - like how a muggle got through his wards. In the end, he found the answer was simple enough and he really had no one to blame but his own laziness and nature, but he had no control over that.

Not having foreseen the problem of time, weather, and good old fashioned 'mother nature' he never once thought about checking on his wards and erosion took its toll. Since his wards were dome shaped and didn't extend more than a couple of feet in the ground or have a 'floor', they left a huge gaping hole when the cliffs fell away due to storms and wind.

Now while this wouldn't have normally been a big problem for most muggles - seeing as how the beaches were pretty much off limits to all but a few - a parachuter, like the man currently passed out in his home, could have easily slipped underneath them. The fact that the blue cloth of the parachute was scorched at the top suggested that it had brushed the bottom of his hanging wards - and this was what caused the man to make a tumble to the beach below.

Standing up, Harry brushed off the seat of his pants, getting rid of the clinging sand, and then shoved his hands in his jean pockets. Setting off at a slow walk, Harry's mind tried to work out what he needed to do about the muggle that was currently lying on the bed in his second bedroom - a room he normally used to house a few of the injured wildlife while he took care of them.

The male had absolutely no identification on him - no license, no passport, not even a credit card. He didn't think the muggle had been robbed, the man didn't seem like the type that would be easily crossed or taken advantage of, but there didn't seem to be any explanation for the lack of ID.

Either way though, he couldn't take the man to the hospital with a gunshot wound. Too many questions would be asked and not to mention the small bit of guilt he already felt for shooting the poor man. _This _was part of the reason he had left his friends behind - they didn't need to see him turning into a young Mad Eye Moody just because he couldn't let go of the war he had fought in.

Fear of hurting them just because they didn't make their presence known in enough time, or make rowdy sounds like they used to do as kids, caused him to run and hole himself up on a practically deserted piece of land. And while he hadn't hurt a friend, he had shot an innocent muggle. So, as far as he could see, the only option he really had was just to tend to the man himself and then obliviate any memories of this place once he was healed up and then send him on his way.

**oOOoOOoOOoOOoOOo**

_Why me? _Xander thought as he came out of his sleep and began to take stock of the pain his body was in. _First it was darts, then it was missle canisters filled to the brim with deadly green stuff, and now it's bullets. At least this time it was a bit more manly._

Xander groaned as he tried to lift his shoulder to get a better look at it, but he found lifting his head a lot less painful and opted to do that instead. Seeing the white gauze bandage just slightly stained with blood that was now colored an ugly brown, he let his head flop back down to the pillow.

Exhaling, he gazed around the rather small and sparse room, raising an eyebrow at the empty cages that were stacked against one of the walls. Sunlight poured through the only window and he was curious as to why it didn't even have blinds, much less curtains to block it out.

His eyes finally sought out the door, eyeing it warily. He wouldn't put it pass Gibbs to have him tested again - this was right up his alley to have him shot then dumped off in some remote cabin. First it was some Yuppie in a diner, then a mentally fucked up drug lord, so he couldn't help but wonder if he was going to be up against some shotgun toten' redneck.

Deciding that he needed to know exactly what state his body was in, Xander rolled over to his side and then used his good arm to push his body up, raising an eyebrow when the sheet slid down to reveal his naked body.

Well, he had never been tested naked before, but that wouldn't stop him from getting out of here as quickly as possible. Standing up, Xander got a better look at the room and was happy to find that his clothes were folded up neatly on top of a small bedside table. Picking up the top article of clothing, and noticing that it was his shirt, tossed it back on the bed, knowing that it would hurt like hell right now if he tried to put it on.

Picking up his pants next, Xander had little trouble getting them on, ignoring the twinges that run across is back and down his arm as he wrestled his way into them. As he zipped up the fly, he looked for his shoes, frowning when he didn't spot them in the room. Curious as to why those would be gone and just a little bit annoyed - _those were good boots damnit! - _he sat back on the edge of the bed and pulled on his socks which had been neatly paired up and under his folded pants.

The socks were a bit more difficult as he could really only use one arm, but he eventually managed it and stood back up, casting on last glance around the room. Not seeing anything that could be used as a weapon, he makes his way to the closed door and opens it as quietly as he can, peeking his head out, narrowing his eyes when he doesn't see anything but a small empty hallway.

There was one door directly across from him, and since the door was open, he could easily see that it was a bathroom. Another door to the left of it was closed but he didn't pay that one much attention and instead turned to look to the right and saw an open room he assumed was the living area. Silently, he made his way down the hall, his sock-clad feet making hardly any noise as he walked on the wooden floor.

In just a few steps, Xander found himself standing at the edge of the room, and took in the sparse space - just a couch, a couple of straight-backed chairs and a desk. It was the last piece of furniture that drew his attention though, but not because of what it was or what it could possibly hold, but rather the fact it was to the left of what could only be the main door.

Making his way across the room, he barely paid attention to the small kitchen - he was not on a dinner date - and couldn't help but feel as if whatever lay behind that door was going to be a huge pain in his ass. Steeling himself, he laid his hand on the knob and turned it, flinging the door open, only to stifle a rather girlish scream when he came face to face with the biggest black horse he had ever seen.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **The Path  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **R/M  
**Pairing: **Xander/Harry  
**Warnings: **Slash, language  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Harry Potter _or _xXx  
_**Summary: **There are many paths one must take in life. But when the time comes to choose, will you stay where you are, or will you take a chance on an unknown path in the hopes of finding something more?  
**Beta: **Pysche

**AN: **Thank you for all the reviews! I hope you keep them coming and let me know what you think!

**Chapter 3**

Harry stomped his large hoof on the ground, tossing his head up and down as he tried to figure out what he needed to do. He hadn't expected for the muggle to be awake this soon and it wasn't like he could just change from horse to human in front of him. Plus, he couldn't let the man leave. His wounds weren't healed yet and worse still, his memories were intact - those couldn't be erased until those injuries were gone as they would bring about too many questions.

Turning his head to the side, Harry eyed the man that continued to stand in the middle of his doorway, gaping at him. Now that the muggle could stand, Harry finally got a good look at his size and realized that there would be no way he could physically take on this man if he needed to, but then Harry was never one to let something like that stand in his way.

Deciding to use the man's shock against him, Harry took a few steps - his unshod hooves making clunking sounds on the wooden front deck - and stretched his neck out, using his muzzle to push against the man's bare chest. The muggle stumbled back a few steps into the house before he caught himself and straightened up, glaring at Harry in irritation.

"Listen here, you overgrown dog..."

Harry snorted, slightly amused at the muggle's words. Turning his large head slightly to the side - so he could keep the man out of his forward blind spot - Harry impassively gazed at the human's wound, inhaling a bit, noticing the faint smell of fresh blood that lingered off of him, signaling that the injury had torn a bit with the man's movement.

He needed to figure out a way to get away from the man so he could change back. Harry couldn't let the injury take on an infection as that would delay the healing process which meant he would have to keep him around longer. Shifting his weight on his hooves, Harry contemplated what he needed to do when his ears twitched at the muggle's voice.

"Ok, the remote cabin I get. The no visible weapons lying around, I get. The lack of any other people I can also get, but what the hell does a fuckin horse have to do with anything?"

If Harry had eyebrows in this form, they would have been raised high.

"The bullet wound was a nice touch," the man said, as he glanced around the room - mainly in the corners. "Though the darts were a lot less painful!" The muggle's deep voice steadily rose higher, bordering on yelling. "Future reference _Scarface!_"

The last word came out loud with an angry tone that had Harry's horsey self jerking back at the noise. Once he got his skittish half under control, he had to wonder if he had taken in an escaped mental patient since the man was now glaring and swearing at his walls.

Shaking his head and stomping his front left hoof, Harry cautiously backed himself out of the doorway til he was clear. Then using his mouth, he reached out and grabbed a hold of the handle while the man was still busy looking suspiciously in the corners of his ceiling, and pulled to door closed. Using a bit of wandless magic - something that he had to train himself to do while in his animagus form - Harry cast a locking spell to keep the stranger in.

Once that was done and he was off the porch, Harry turn and ran into the woods, making sure he was far enough away from prying eyes before he allowed himself to turn human again.

**oOOoOOoOOoOOoOOo**

Xander turned and glared at the now closed door with narrowed eyes. The sound of it shutting had effectively pulled him out of his 'hidden camera inspecting' to find that the black horse was gone and _somehow _it had closed him in. He wasn't sure how or why it did that, horses - as far as he knew - didn't do things like closing doors.

Ignoring the ideas of a smart four-legged beast that wasn't a canine, Xander stalked over to the door, grabbed a hold of the handle, smirking when it turned and gave it a yank - only to stumble back when it refused to budge and his hand slipped off in surprise.

Xander stared dumbly at the door for several more seconds before he tried the handle again, only to get the same results. Stepping back, he eyed the frame, looking for any weird, new science geek stuff that one of the nerdier employees might have used to keep it from opening. But, the more he looked, he began to realize that there was no way that black horse could have made it through like it did. The frame was just too small.

So, how did it get in?

Shaking his head and shrugging his good shoulder, Xander turned around and glanced towards the window on the opposite side of the room. The door matter could wait til he was free of this place. Striding over to the bare window, he studied it for a moment, seeing no visible latches and then began pushing in an upward angle against the windowsill.

He cursed when it refused to budge, and narrowed his eyes as he stepped back. Again, he couldn't find any obvious signs of being nailed shut or even locked, yet, it wouldn't move. Growling, Xander turned away from the pain-in-the-ass window and looked around the room again.

With a smirk, he strolled over to the desk and picked up with the plain straight-backed wooden chair before heading back to the window. If he couldn't just simply open it, he would smash it, and since he didn't want any scars to mar up his tattoos, he would use the chair it do it.

Lining himself up, he lifted the chair, hissing when the wound on his shoulder stretched and tore, and he made a move to send the object through the window.

"That won't work."

Xander spun around, still holding the chair above his head. Breathing deeply, he narrowed his eyes at the young man who was standing in the now open doorway.

"Who are you?" Xander asked, lowering the chair slightly, but not letting it go - it was the only weapon he had at the moment.

"Me?" the stranger asked as he stepped further inside and closed the door behind him. Now that he wasn't standing in the path of the sun, Xander could make out that the male was shorter than him, but built in a way that suited him. Long black hair rested on white t-shirt covered shoulders that were untucked in the jeans he wore. While Xander's eyes were trailing over the body, looking for any visible weapons, the stranger's green eyes were solely fixed on Xander's injured shoulder.

"Yes, you." Xander's grip tightened on the chair.

"Ah, well then, I'm the one that owns this house, the window, that chair," the man took a few more steps, "and, I'm the one that shot you."


End file.
